Improvement in packers for oil-wells



W. L. HARD'ISON.

PACKER FOP. OIL-WELLS.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGHAPHER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED- STATES PATENT 'QFFI WALLACE HARDISON, OF ST. PETERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.v

IMPROVEMENT lN PACKERS FOR OlL -WELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,616, dated December 28,1875; application filed December 3, 1875').

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved packer, the telescopic joint and flexible packin g being drawn out to their full length. Fig. 2 is another vertical section, showing the flexible packing under a state of compression. Fig. 3 is a cylinder of cast metal to be used in place of cylinder 0, Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is a top view of cap 0 and bag E.

In the drawings, A represents the well'within which the packer is to be used. B represents the upper section of an anchor. B is a cap, provided with an internal thread, which.

fits the upper end of the section B. This cap has two ribs, b and b, upon its outer side, and a rib, 0, upon its inner surface. 0 is a case or cylinder, of such size as to fit closely and slide freely within the rib c. c is a rib on the outside of this cylinder 0. O is a cap attached to the upper end of cylinder 0, and having one or more openings, 0", for the insertion of a pumping-tube, l), and a steam-tube or gastuloe, D. There may be one, two, or more of these tubes arranged in cap 0, as may be found desirable.

From the above description it will be seen I that the cylinder 0 and section B of the anchor form a sort of telescopic joint, and that the pipe D or pipes l) D may be let down into the section'B of the anchor, the cylinder 0 sliding within the cap 0 for that purpose.

E E is a packing-bag, of some flexible material, either of a heavy canvas, with its ends made tapering in form, as shown at E E, Fig. 1, or, what would be preferable, a bag woven or knitted, with ends formed tapering in the process of manufacture. The lower end of the bag is firmly secured to cap B, preferably by tying or wiring it (the bag) in the groove between the ribs b b. The upper end of the bag is firmly secured to cap 0. (See Fig. 3.) I usually tie or wire this upper end both above and below the cap.

As shown in the drawings, the cylinder 0 is of such diameter as to nearly fill the bore of the wellthat is, in a well of five and one-half inches inside diameter, I'would use a cylinder of four and a halfinches outside diameter, leaving an annular space of half an inch around the cylinder. The rib b is about five inches in diameter, the rib b being five and a quarter inches in diameter. The ribs c and c are each about one-eighth of an inch in width;

The objectin making rib b of greater diameter than rib b is to insure that the material used 1 inwinding the end of the bag upon the cap B shall not come in contact with the wall of the well when the packer is being lowered to place, as such contact might destroy or injure the cord or wire. In practice, I usually make the cylinder 0 about four feet long.

In putting-my packer into operation I attach to the lower end of section B of the anchor a perforated pipe of such length as will support the packer at the desired point, and attach to the cap 0 the pumping-tube D and gas-tube D, or such other tubes as may be de: sired, and let the tubes and packer down into the well, connecting the succeeding lengths of tube as they'descend in the usual manner.

The central portion E of the bag is of about the same external diameter as the boreof the well, which it fits closely, and when the lower In consequence of the tapering form of the ends of the bag, and the thickness of the material of which it is composed, the ends of the bag, even under heavy pressure, will ordinarily retain their tapering form 3 hence, the bag will not double back upon or, around the cap in such manner as to interfere with a proper condensation of the packing around the cylinder,

or with the withdrawal of the packer from the well.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a cylinder, 1, which I design making of a single piece of metal, having a rib, i, at the upper end, over which to receive the bag, and a rib, '5, at the lower end, to lift the anchor by; and in order that the cap B of the anchor may pass over the upper end of the cylinder, I propose to either make the rib i thinner than the rib i, or make the upper end of the cylinder enough smaller than the lower end to pass through cap B; or I can make either of these ribs removable, so that it can be taken off to put on --the cap B. I I are passages or pipes through this cylinder, provided with screw-threads to receive the ends of the tubes which are to be used above or below the packer.

What I claim isl. The cylinder 0 and tube D or tubes D D,

sliding within the section B of the packer, in combination with a flexible packing, compressed between the cylinder and the wall of the well, substantially as set forth. a

2. The packing-bag E E, having its ends made tapering, in combination with the anchor B and the sliding cylinder 0, substan- WALLACE L. HARDISON.

Witnesses:

E. G. WEAVER, H. H. DOUBLEDAY. 

